Silence is Golden
by Lady Abigail
Summary: Dying and being reborn into another person's body could really change someone's perspective of life and death itself. [Self Insert OC]
1. Prologue

**Silence is Golden**

**Prologue**

I was your typical ordinary girl.

I had average grades, average looks, average lifestyle, and average friends. I wasn't as popular as Taylor Swift nor was I as smart as Albert Einstein nor was I as talented as any Hollywood Star.

Nope, I'm just your typical average joe.

In my whole entire life, I couldn't recall at least one event that would have made me known to the world, or at least popular enough for everyone to admire me. Everything I do was simple, but meaningful.

Admittedly, my life was rather plain. It was always a shade of boring gray with an unknown daily routine playing out perfectly. There was absolutely no excitement whatsoever, and the closest thing to excitement for me was a new update for my favorite manga series.

Alright, maybe having a hobby to read and collect manga books is a bit off for a typical girl, but everyone has hobbies. Or more likely, everyone needed hobbies. If not, we would've been bored to death.

One of my favorite manga series was one of the most popular, Naruto. An animated series about ninjas. It mostly involves Naruto, the main character. Strangely enough, the japanese kanji word of Naruto meant some sort of ramen topping. It was sort of funny because Naruto's favorite food was ramen.

The story of Naruto was so fascinating, that I had been totally unaware that I had become a Naru-tard without knowing it.

I was a very faithful follower of Masashi Kishimoto and every week, I would come home early from school, turn on my laptop and wait patiently for the manga to update.

My parents called me that having a hobby like this was very strange, but I paid no mind. It was my only source of entertainment and the only thing to keep me sane.

But for some reason, a normal girl like me, was somehow dragged into a world that shouldn't have been crossed with. A world that shouldn't have existed.

A world where everything was not what it seems.

I did something so horribly wrong. I tampered with something that should have been left alone. And for that, the consequences were severe.

The first punishment?

I lost my life.

* * *

("⌒∇⌒")

* * *

Life was actually something very valuable and priceless. This, I had only learned when I lost it.

Death was something unpredictable; you can't see it, hear it, smell it, or feel it. You can't avoid it either, no matter how hard you try.

The story of my death was rather painful and horrifyingly traumatizing. But given my generous mood, I'd save you the gory details and skip to the part where I was so confused I couldn't tell my left shoe from my right shoe.

It was very… weird. One second, I was experiencing unimaginable and agonizing pain. The next? My body was being held close to a heaving chest and I was immediately assured with silent warmth and comfortable peace.

I assumed I must've been having some sort of attack or something of the likes, but I knew I wasn't.

First of all, if I ever had an attack, I know that I wouldn't be able to detect my surroundings. Plus, my senses weren't dull. It was just that my eyesight had became blurry.

I didn't know how long I stayed like that, comfy and still within the arms of an unknown person who had surprisingly been able to comfort me even if I was freaking out like hell, when I was suddenly pulled away from her grasp and into the arms of another person.

Hesitantly, I opened my eyes. I winced at the sudden flash of blinding light that seeped through my eyelids, but slowly opened them. Once I adjusted myself to the light, I found myself seeing things clearer. Not that it helped because it just confused me even more.

Standing in front of me was a gigantic face. He looked about thirty or so with a kind and gentle smile etched in the features of his face.

What surprised me the most wasn't the fact that his head was bigger than mine, but the color of his eyes. Silvery eyes tinted with a small splash of lilac inside of them. He wore a metallic plate on his forehead, a symbol of a swirl and a triangle on the bottom carved in the front.

My eyes widened.

It was a _hitai-ate_, the ones that the characters in my favorite anime series wore as a symbol of their village and their rank as ninjas.

My jaw literally dropped to the floor. The man with the huge face must've sensed it. He chuckled lightly and just smiled silently at me. He then knelt down on his knees and beckoned someone behind me to come over.

When I felt someone's shadow loom over me, I turned my head a bit to the left and spotted a small baby wrapped in cloth. He looked about a year old, with his puffy cheeks and drooling all over his clothes habit. He had the same color as the man in front of me did; strange lilac white.

I stared at the one year old baby in front of me and watched as it stared at me too. It was then when my mind played a familiar face that overlapped the face of the baby in front of me, making me gasp.

This baby was Hyuuga Neji.

The man in front of me was Hyuuga Hizashi.

And I was the little sister and daughter of both.

This event had just triggered something in my brain that made things both clearer and more confusing to me, which made me suffer from a painful headache. So, I did the normal thing that someone stuck in a situation like me would do;

I cried.

* * *

**[Author's Note]**

**So yes, I decided to join the Self Insert OC party and write a SI fic myself. Honestly, I was actually afraid of writing one due to the fact that a lot of people have high expectations for it, but I decided to give it a shot. **

**I want to give a small shout-out to Silver Queen and her fanfic entitled "Dreaming of Sunshine". It's a truly amazing fanfiction, but I know I'll never be able to compete with her.**

**If there were any errors you spotted here and there, don't hesitate to review or PM me about it. Just tone down your criticism. You can flame me if you want, because I'll simply laugh at your stupidity.**

**Have a nice day! :-)**


	2. Chapter 1: Halcyon Days

**Silence is Golden**

**Chapter 1: Halcyon Days**

Living as a baby while knowing the fact that I, in fact, was reincarnated into a fictional world had literally changed my perspective in both life and death.

The first thought that had popped into my head when I figured this out while crying was this; "Well, isn't this a fucking lovely day." And maybe a few more other thoughts similar to that, but I think that pretty much summed up my thoughts.

A few hours after being confined in the hospital, I was carried off into another place in the arms of Hizashi. When we arrived to the Hyuuga Clan's part of the village, I couldn't help but be mildly impressed.

Though the designs of the buildings were from an old Japanese era, I could tell that the building itself was brand-new from renovation. The porcelein white paint had just been applied recently and spotting a few workers here and there on our way back was pretty much a dead give away.

As Hizashi carried me in his arms, I couldn't help but continue my freak out session. _'Aw hell nigga no, this can't be happening.' _I thought, wishing that maybe this was just an awful nightmare and that maybe I'll wake up soon. But the longer I lay in Hizashi's hold and the longer this dream went on, it soon occurred to me that this truly was reality.

It was nerve wracking when I let this information dawn into me. I wanted to scream, shout, and throw things around. I wanted to completely deny the fact that I had died and been reincarnated and I really wanted to deny about being reborn into the Hyuuga clan.

But I knew I couldn't do anything about it. I was, right now, stuck in a newborn's body, completely unable to do any of the simplest tasks. If I wasn't even able to walk, how on earth would I be able to go into the potty by myself?

We arrived in a small part of the Clan House. Using one hand, Hizashi pulled the sliding door to the left and slipped his slippers off his feet. He walked in the wooden floor and towards the small crib inside. He unbuckled the small chain fastener and pulled down a part of the crib and gently, laid my small and fragile body on the soft mattress.

Hizashi stared at me with his silver eyes, a tinge of sadness and regret obviously found inside them. He closed his eyes momentarily and said, "I'm so sorry Shizuka. To be born with the burden of the branch family's curse, I only hope that one day you'll be able be able to forgive me. Both you, and Neji."

How I was able to understand what he had just said, I don't know. I probably had a google translate app implanted in my brain at the moment of my reincarnation. I decided to freak out about that later.

Just then, I heard light footsteps approach. Hizashi must've sensed them as well. His body posture straightened and his eyes sharpened with a sense of stern authority.

The footsteps stopped in the front of the doorway. I tilted my head slightly and propped myself in a proper position so I may see who intended to visit.

When I first lay eyes on him, I knew either I was in trouble or Hizashi was in trouble. A complete exact mirror of Hizashi himself was standing in front of the doorway, his arms folded across his chest and a frown evident on his face.

Had it not been for the fact Hizashi was wearing a mesh undershirt and black shirt accompanied with black pants and a _hitai-ate_, I would've rubbed my eyes and swore I was seeing doubles.

"Hiashi-sama. It is an honor for you to visit my humble home. Is there anything you need?" Hizashi asked, though I wasn't sure whether he said it a bit too politely or with disgust, hidden by a sense of sarcasm behind it.

Hiashi narrowed his pure white eyes at Hizashi, sensing his rude intent, but said nothing about it. Instead, his eyes trailed to me and his cold gaze settled upon me.

I grew uneasy. The way he looked at me was like he analyzing me for an experiment. Only Orochimaru should look like that.

"Hizashi, that child of yours shouldn't bring shame upon the Hyuuga family. I expect it to turn into a proper and civilized person when it grows up." Hiashi stated promptly.

Hizashi's fist clenched at his side. "Pardon if it sounds rude, but I do think that my child is not an _'it' _and that she has, in fact, a name. I would politely ask you not to call her as such." He said stiffly.

I gulped, sensing the tension in the air. As happy as I was that Hizashi defended me, he should know that he was talking to his elder brother, and the clan head. He needed to calm down.

Hiashi studied me for one last minute before turning around. With a single glance over his shoulder, he said, "Then I expect her to become a proper kunoichi. Do not bring shame upon the clan, Hizashi. That son of yours will also become trouble if you don't discipline him. Heed my warning, little brother."

After that little encounter, I hadn't seen Hiashi as much. It brought a great deal of happiness inside me, because I really didn't want to spend my time having to deal with a total prick in the ass.

It turns out that Hizashi, despite the fact that he was related to the overly formal prick in the ass Hiashi, was actually an even more prick in the ass than his own brother. But I guess I'm speaking from Neji's point of view, since I noticed Hizashi showing his ugly side to him more than he does to me. Or am I just imagining things?

Since I was able to understand Japanese for a weird and unknown reason (I still believe I had a google translate application stored in my brain), I had been able to perceive and eavesdrop into the current news and rumors spreading about. It was fairly easy to, because a couple of idiotic women tend to gossip much about them in the front of my room.

Hyuuga Kohana, my fraternal mother, had died giving birth to me due to high blood pressure. It seemed that she wasn't able to cope with her exhaustion during the process and died just a second after I came out.

It was sad, really, on how casual I can say these things about my mother yet I never even knew her. Certainly she must be a kind woman and a patient one at that to tolerate Hizashi's attitude and problems. She must've been a great person to strike so much grief to Hizashi's heart, so much to make him cry silently to himself. But we are talking about his wife, so it's pretty understandable.

You may be under the impression that I'm alright with my reincarnation and deciding to go with the flow. Well… I'm NOT okay with it. In fact, I'm still surprised that each morning I would wake up to see either Hizashi's smiling face or Neji's goofy one.

Speaking of the little turd, imagine my surprised when he actually acted like a child when I first saw him. He didn't act stiff or mature, unlike how he acted during the canon. But then I realized that he started to act like a stuck up brat right after Hizashi dies, and that was a few years from now.

I lay in my crib with my stomach down and my chubby arms supporting my weight as I watched Neji practice a few simple stances. Right at this moment, Neji is three and I'm two.

Ever since I can remember, I knew that Hizashi was often praised with having both me and Neji as his children. It was already a known fact that both of us would become the clan's prodigies and that we would soon be a great addition to the clan's forces.

The Elders has visited a few times to remind Hizashi of this, and in all those times they had visited, a frown would always be evident on Hizashi's face.

I knew that if only Neji would become a prodigy, I would be shunned and shamed by the clan. In my previous life, I was known to be a people-pleaser and I would always try my best to make people around me happy about me and of what I did. That habit of mine didn't fade, and I was determined to be hailed as a prodigy just like Neji.

You must think it was unwise for me to do that, but I'm fairly certain that it was a correct decision. The Clan had high expectations on both me and my older brother, and I was willing to become the perfect kunoichi they expect.

By the age of one, I was already speaking words. I struggled to say them with the right pronunciation and accent, but was usually corrected now and then.

One and a half, I was able to crawl. It was a huge achievement in my case because I loved to move. The first time I had crawled, I ended up in my father's weapon storage. I guess I shouldn't have done that because he literally fainted right there on the spot when I was holding a poisoned kunai knife in my baby hands.

And by two, I could talk properly and walk. Of course, with Hizashi's supervision and support.

"Come here slowly, Shizuka." He said as he gestured to his outstretched arms. I was about, like, five feet away from Hizashi. And, shame upon me, I can't even stand up on my own, let alone take a step forward! And he was only a few feet away! Like the distance from a sofa to a TV remote!

My lips quivered as I felt my knees buckle under me. I was afraid I would fall. I was so used to being carried in someone's arm when I'm awake that I forgot that it was better to walk.

"It's okay Shizuka. Look at me in the eyes, and calm down." Hizashi instructed, his voice steady and calm. Doing as he said, I looked inside his white and lilac eyes. It calmed me in an odd way, but decided to take one hesitant step forward.

I didn't fall.

I pushed my other leg forward. I didn't fall. And then the other. And the other. Then I started to walk continuously. Slowly, but steady, I started to get the hang of it. Hey! Now I don't have to worry about visiting the potty now!

Suddenly, I felt my body weight shift to the front, making me tumble forward. I squinted my eyes closed, expecting my face to smack right in front of the _tatami_* mat underneath me, but instead I fell right inside a warm embrace. I heard a chuckle from above.

"Well done, Shizuka." Hizashi congratulated as he settled me in a more comfortable position. I beamed at the praise.

"Tou-sama! Tou-sama! Look!" a childish and excited voice shouted from behind us. We both inclined our heads to the side, spotting a frantic Neji running towards the both of us. Immediately did I feel bad about myself. Neji learned how to walk at the age of two and a half, and I was older than him and way smarter than the little elf!

"I can make bluey stuff come outta my hands. Wanna see?" he asked, a proud smile spread on his face.

For a brief moment, Hizashi's face was contorted with pure disbelief before regaining his composure and smiling at Neji. "Oh?" he said, amused. "May I see?"

Neji grinned and held up his hands in front of him. He made a small 'hah' sound as he concentrated his big lilac eyes in front of him. At first, I thought Neji was kidding and just wanted to spend time with Hizashi, but then his hands started to glow. They both glowed a bright blue and wrapped themselves around Neji's hands. No longer than a minute did the aura disappear, leaving Neji exhausted.

I tilted my head up and watched Hizashi's expression. From disbelief, it turned into sadness. He sigh but nevertheless ruffled Neji's hair affectionately and flashed him a smile. "Good job, Neji. Most kids your age aren't able to do something like that." He said quietly.

Neji beamed and puffed out his chest proudly, too busy to notice that Hizashi was clenching his fists and gritting his teeth in anger and frustration.

* * *

("⌒∇⌒")

* * *

"Shizuka, please refrain yourself from throwing random objects towards me."

I smiled innocently and aimed a toy block (filled with heavy rocks) at his face. To my luck, it hit his head perfectly, causing him to stumble a bit back. His fingers twitched slightly before he regained his posture and cleared his throat. He flicked away the block while his eyebrow twitched. He forced a smile, but I could easily tell he was pissed.

"Shizuka…" he growled.

I pouted and stopped throwing blocks at Ikkaku, a fellow Hyuuga and a distant relative of mine… also, my babysitter.

Why am I being babysitted you ask? Well, because Tou-san —Yes, after two years, seven months, sixteen days, nine hours and thirty four seconds of complete and utter denial that I wasn't reincarnated, that I wasn't a baby, and that I wasn't reborn as Hyuuga Neji's little sister, I could finally call him my dad— had a mission to go to. It was mainly an A-rank missioned to escort a princess from the Land of Fire to the Land of Rivers. The traveling distance from the Land of Fire to the Land of Rivers was about a week, so I'm stuck with Ikkaku until then.

Ikakku was just a man with short brown hair and the usual lilac eyes. He had peach skin and wore the same garments the clans men wears when they're off duty; a usual kimono and a dark colored obi.

It was so boring without Tou-san. Neji was supposed to be with me, but for some strange reason, he was whisked away by some Clan Elders and watched by another sitter, leaving me alone with a totally anti-social prick like Ikkaku. Sheesh, are all Hyuugas like this? I hope not.

I could tell that Ikkaku didn't find the idea of babysitting completely exciting, and I wasn't blaming him. Like I had stated earlier, being in baby's body was as amusing as watching paint dry. When I learned how to walk properly, I was certain Tou-san would activate his Byakugan just to watch my movements from his office study to my room so that I couldn't 'accidentally' end up in his weapon storage again. Blame me if you want, shiny things are attractive!

Though part of my adult dignity would protest against this, I admit that I am having fun being a baby. Maybe the part of someone having to clean up my own piss and shit sort of embarrassed me to no end, but being able to act like a real child without having to worry about getting good grades, paying the taxes on time, preventing your father from committing suicide… you know, the usual.

I heard the sliding door open behind me. I felt myself get excited and I turned my head around, hoping that maybe it was Tou-san or Neji. But instead, what came in was a surprised.

A woman with midnight blue hair and similar lilac colored eyes came inside. Her bangs were hime-styled and her hair was wrapped in a neat and tight bun. She held a warm expression, something similar to Tou-san's, but was more gentle and more peaceful.

In her arms, she held a small child. She looked quite similar to her, except that her hair was shorter and a constant blush was painted on her cheeks. She had wide lilac eyes like all Hyuugas do and a shy smile was plastered on her face.

Ikkaku's eyes widened as he bowed down. "M-mayumi-sama! Hinata-sama!" he stuttered out.

Mayumi, the one who I assumed was the older woman, smiled. "No need for such formalities, Ikakku-san. Please, I am here only to pay my greetings with my brother-in-law's daughter." She said, turning to me.

I felt my breath hitch in my throat. As far as the canon goes, I know that I haven't heard of anyone named Mayumi Hyuuga. I did know that the canon did mention about Hinata's and Hanabi's mother, but her name really was never stated.

I stared in awe. Mayumi looked so… beautiful. Though I'm starting to wonder how a stuck-up bastard like Hiashi got Mayumi to himself. Probably bribed her or something.

"Aw! Aren't you adorable?" she cooed as she knelt in front of me, settling Hinata on her lap. "What's you name little one?"

I straightened my posture, sat formally and took in a deep breath;

"I am not little!"

Mayumi blinked in surprise before chuckling. "Oh, I'm sorry if I offended you. But what is your name? I am rather curious."

I fidgeted with my hands, feeling a bit shy. "Shi… Shizuka…"

"Ah," Mayumi said. "Shizuka-chan, is it? 'Silence' is what your name means. Perhaps you're a silent kind of person." She paused before a sad smile crept up her lips. "How I wish Haruki was here. She would've loved to see you. It seems so nostalgic, how you bear such a resemblance with your mother. For a second, I thought you looked like her only in a child version."

I huffed indignantly and looked away, but I was slightly happy about her comment. Did I really look like Oka-san? Maybe if she was still alive, Neji would've had support after Tou-san's death. But… she died because of me. Maybe it was supposed to happen, but I just interfered.

My cheerful demeanor came crashing down. Was I just an extra in this world? Was I just… a puppet? A plaything?

"Shizuka-chan?" Mayumi's voice piped up. "Is there something troubling you?"

I blinked, snapping myself from my own trance before smiling softly and shaking my head. "No, Mayumi-sama." I replied curtly.

She looked at me, pondering whether or not to believe me, but decided to anyway. She looked down on her daughter Hinata, whom I forgot about for a while there.

"Hinata, this is your elder cousin, Shizuka. I hope the both of you will get along while I tend to some matters to discuss about with our clan elders and your father." Mayumi explained before turning towards Ikkaku. "Ikkaku, would you be a dear and watch these two for me? I apologize greatly for the inconvenience."

Ikkaku shook his head. "No Mayumi-sama, it is no trouble at all. Shizuka was about to grow tired of beating me up with toys anyway." He said monotely.

When Mayumi stared at me in disbelief, I just pulled out my innocent smile. I swear a sweat drop appeared on the back of her head, though I have exactly no idea how she pulled it off.

"Well, since Hinata will have Shizuka as company, I assure you she wouldn't… beat you up anymore." She said, covering her mouth to avoid her laughter from being heard. It didn't go unnoticed, because Ikkaku twitched his eyebrow.

Slowly, Mayumi stood up. Hinata slightly whimpered, feeling that her mother might leave her alone. Mayumi only smiled and kissed Hinata's forehead. "Mother shall be back soon, Hinata-chan. Be good friends with Shizuka, okay?" she said. Hinata nodded shyly and watched as her mother disappeared from the sliding door.

Wasting no time at all to make friends, I turned to her. "Can you talk?" I asked.

Hinata blushed and nodded. "Y-yes." She said quietly. I raised my eyebrow. Did her stuttering habit appear as early as now? That's not good.

"W-what do you want t-to d- n-now, Shizuka-neesan?" she asked softly, her eyes down, focused on poking with her fingers.

_'Shizuka-neesan? Hm… doesn't sound that bad.' _I thought. Then an idea hit me. A really, really good one!

I smirked evilly and eyed Ikkaku mischievously. He narrowed his eyes at me suspiciously, but I just sent him an all-too innocent smile, one that would definitely creep him out.

I turned to Hinata and cupped the side of my face with one hand. "Hey Hinata, have you ever heard of the term pranking?" I asked.

Hinata raised an eyebrow. "Pranking?"

* * *

**[Author's Note]**

**Hehe, I just love pranking. Naruto's also my partner in crime, as well as creating fanart. I haven't made any yet, but if you want to watch me on deviantart so you would be up to date with my fanarts, you can just go to my profile and click the link.**

**And speaking of my profile, I'd posted my update schedule for 'Silence is Golden' and 'Wilting Roses' story. Visit the schedule so you'll know when I'll be updating my chapters, but I'll post it here as well for those who don't have time to visit my profile;**

**For Silence is Golden; Every Tuesday**

**For Wilting Roses; Every Wednesday**

**I hoped that helped. And see you in the next chapter! Don't forget to review! Just a simple 'please update' would make me happy!**


	3. Chapter 2: Halcyon Days Part ll

**Silence is Golden**

**Chapter 2: Halcyon Days Part ll**

Ninjas are cool. With the help of their control of chakra, they could do almost anything impossible to a regular civilian's status. They can do many things, but they're mostly used as essential tools to war.

Other than that, they're damn good trackers.

See, earlier I asked Hinata if she knew about pranking. When she replied no, a light bulb switched on inside my head and a devilish plan formulated along with it. So, since the plan was originated by yours truly, I decided to put it into action.

So right at this very moment, both me and Hinata were panting quietly behind the shade of a bush, trying our best to stay hidden from our angry clansmen.

"Dammit! Outsmarted by a two year old!" one of the men said, his hair dyed pink.

"Where did she go?!" another one asked, his face painted with numerous drawings.

I heard a pause, and a moment of silence. For a second, I thought that the angry mob already left.

"BYAKUGAN!"

Oh shit.

I grabbed Hinata's fragile hand and dashed through the trees and leaves between the clan's mini-forest at the edge of the clan walls.

"Found them! East, 180 degrees!"

Scurrying as fast as we could, we navigated through the clan's architectures and buildings. Hinata was crying silently, afraid of what might happen if we got caught. Once I caught a glance of her face, swords of guilt begun to stab me in the inside.

We skidded around a corner and I quickly spotted a small old penthouse. Hope shone in front of me and I dashed forward. I spared Hinata a brief glance, pointing towards the penthouse. "Let's hide the—"

Before I could even finish my sentence, three ninjas appeared in front of us. Startled, I tried my best to avoid from crashing into one of them and ended up falling on my butt while Hinata cowered and stared above at the colored Hyuugas.

"You! I knew it was Hizashi's child, but Hiashi-sama's as well? This is just getting more ridiculous by the minute." The pink haired Hyuuga said, glaring at me furiously, his Byakugan boring into me.

I gulped. Hinata's knees started to shake, and I noticed. The Hyuuga with doodles sketched all over his face then grabbed hold of Hinata's wrist and looked at her.

"We're taking you back to Hiashi-sama. And you," he said, jerking Hinata up violently, causing a weak whimper to escape her lips.

"Stop it! You're hurting her!" I protested as I ran towards the Hyuuga who held Hinata captive, throwing weak punches at his legs. It was a futile attempt, but at least I tried!

Annoyed, he harshly pushed me down. "Though I praise you for being a prodigy and for learning how to talk and walk by this age, I do not appreciate you Branch Members to contaminate the mind of our Clan's head. Move, you caged bird!" he said as he raised his hand.

I gasped, knowing what was coming next. I squinted my eyes closed, waiting for something hard to hit me across the face, but instead, I felt two presences appear in front of me. Hesitantly, I opened one eye at a time and blinked. I looked up and gasped in surprise.

In front of me stood the stiff and over formal bastard Hiashi. His hands gripped the wrist of our attacker tightly and his Byakugan was activated, staring deeply and dangerously into his eyes.

"Did you dare raised your hand at my daughter?" Hiashi hissed, obviously displeased. The doodle-sketched Hyuuga's eyes grew wide and his arm went limp at Hiashi's hold. "Forgive me, Hiashi-sama. But I intended on punishing your brother's daughter, not Hinata-sama herself. I believed that your niece has contaminated the mind of our clan head, provoking her into doing unlady-like and improper things. It is unbecoming for our next clan head to act… like such a child."

I clenched my fists at my side. Act like such a child?! How dare he! Hinata is a child. The poor girl was torn between Hiashi's stern gaze, and my pleading one. I guessed she didn't want to disappoint her father nor did she want to lose my trust in her.

Hiashi averted his eyes towards Hinata. "Hinata," he began lowly. ", is it true that you, and Shizuka, had pranked one of our clan's elite ninjas?"

Hinata squeaked and hid her eyes low, staring directly at the ground while shuffling her feet. Her body language screamed that she was shy and that she wasn't used to being scolded like this.

It was my fault; I should've looked a bit into Hinata's situation more. It was no wonder why Hinata was so careful and quiet. Her father had worked her up so she may turn into the perfect and disciplined clan heiress she was supposed to be. Given that she was the eldest, she had earned her rightful place as the heiress.

I never knew that being a heiress was such a heavy responsibility until now. Seeing Hinata shake underneath her father's heavy gaze made me realize something.

"No! Hinata didn't participate in my prank! I forced her too! Punish me instead." I said, rushing in front of Hinata and spreading my arms wide, creating a wall as if to protect her.

Hinata looked at me, completely flabbergasted. Shock was also written in the faces of the Hyuuga members whom I have pranked earlier for protecting Hinata and for answering back at Hiashi. They must think I was very brave or too stupid to notice how grave the situation was.

Hiashi stared at me, his Byakugan activated eyes looking deep into my lilac eyes. I would be lying if I said wasn't intimidated by him. The aura of authority and discipline was enough to make someone freeze.

Finally, he deactivated his Byakugan and turned to Hinata. "Come Hinata. I shall talk to your mother later." He said as he started to walk away. I looked at Hinata with a sad expression which she returned.

"Hinata!" Hiashi snapped, clearly losing his impatience. With a squeak, Hinata ran towards her father and walked by his side, making their way back to the Main House's clan household. She spared me a final glance before leaving.

I looked behind me and found the three Hyuugas still staring at me, disbelief written on their faces.

"You… a member of a branch house protected our clan head?"

I raised my eyebrow. "Isn't that what we should do? She's one of my kinsfolk, is she not? Also, I would never sell out a friend." I said.

The Hyuuga who had glitters stuck to his hair and bows and ties sketched on his vest and clothes narrowed his eyes at me. "Once. We will forgive you only this time." He said.

I gaped and blinked. They were going to let me off? Yes! Then that means I'm not in trouble! And—

Wait. Just. A. Second.

"What's the catch?" I asked, crossing my arms. It would be absurd if I would think that they'll let me off the hook this easily. There has to be something for them, too. It's completely logical.

"You will NOT speak to anyone of what had just occurred. You will not mention to anyone that you… did _this._" The pink haired Hyuuga said as he gestured to his dyed hair. I stifled a laugh and nodded.

They nodded at me and disappeared with a poof. I coughed a bit at the smoke and swatted them away. Once the smoke disappeared, I was left with only one thing to think of;

"THEY LEFT ME ALONE! HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO GET BACK HOME NOW?!"

* * *

（≧∇≦）

* * *

I'm telling you, navigating all the way from the Clan's Ninja dorms back to the Branch House's main compound isn't as easy as you think.

The whole place was practically a freakin' maze! It was almost as if I was trapped in this place for my whole entire life. Every time I try and take a turn, I always end up at the same dead-end! I can't believe it, but I ended up in the same spot three times! Three times already!

I sigh through my nose and stomped my foot angrily. "DARN IT!" I cursed in English. I pulled out my hair in frustration, which was about chin length. It turns out that in the Hyuuga clan, long hair is a symbol of everlasting life and good fortune. Such nonsense made me want to smack my head repeatedly, but it was clan tradition so I had no other choice but to grow it out.

Don't get me wrong, having long hair is good. It's just that it would get in my way when I become a ninja and do missions. It would most likely slap my face each chance I get! And trying to tie it with a ribbon is a no-no to because Neji and Tou-san don't use elastics. Rather, they use small 6 inches ribbons.

But back to the main problem here.

"Excuse me, are you lost little one?"

I was about to snap that I was not little but when I turned around, my jaw dropped. A man dressed in white and red formal robes stood in front of me, his face all wrinkled and weary. A square had with a colored edge and the kanji '火' on it. On his hand was a small pipe and a small trail of smoke trailed above it.

"Uh…" I mumbled. Holy schmow-zow! I was talking to the most powerful man in the Hidden Leaf Village!

The old man chuckled lightly and stooped down to my level, eyeing me curiously. "How old are you my child?" he asked gently.

"T-two and a half…" I stuttered out like a fool. Dammit! Don't start acting like Hinata!

Hiruzen stroked his beard. "Hmm, and someone as young as you talking and walking? Perhaps you are the female child of Hyuuga Hizashi of whom I have heard so much of?"

I nodded shyly and fidgeted with my feet. "U-um…" I started.

"Hm?"

I looked up. "C-can you help me get home? I lost my way." I said quietly. Hopefully, Hiruzen head me. He chuckled again and took my small hand in his, smiling.

"Of course. Which compound of the Branch House do you live in?"

"I think the main part." I answered. He nodded and we started our way towards home.

As we walked, I couldn't help but steal a few glances at Hiruzen. Sneak peaks of the future flashed before my eyes, reminding me of what the fate that Hiruzen would soon face.

I knawed my bottom lip nervously, thinking of what I should do. I had my own problems to take care of; Tou-san's death, Neji receiving his Caged Bird seal, and Hinata's self-esteem. I can't sit and oogle around. I have a responsibility to do! I need to save them.

But perhaps I can save Hiruzen as well. But if I do that… I might change the plot.

…

Oh to heck with the plot! I was reincarnated as Neji's younger sister and made friends with Hinata and managed to piss of Hiashi like hell. The plot's already screwed with my mere presence.

But saving Hiruzen was a big problem. In the canon, Orochimaru killed him. Even when Hiruzen had Orochimaru's arms sealed, thus making sure he would never be able to create another jutsu again, he would just soon take over another body.

Defeating Orochimaru was not an option. I would be killed in a mere second! Plus Orochimaru was the main antagonist of the whole series until Shippuden. Even if I have a chance to go against him, who's to say some mystical magical creature won't interrupt our battle and make sure I'll die an untimely death?

I'm just joking about the magical creature, but you never know…

"We're here." Hiruzen announced, snapping me out of my thoughts. I blinked once before something tackled me down to the ground.

"Oof!" I cried as I fell to my bottom, something hugging me. I looked in front of me. "Neji nii-san?"

Neji pulled away and gave me a pouty look. "Where were you?! I waited for you for… uh… hours so we can practice our katas! Do you know how worried I was?! You promised that we would play! And how come Ikkaku-san was covered in tar and feathers?"

Hiruzen gave me a disbelieving look to which I returned with an innocent smile. He sigh and turned to Neji. "You must be Neji-kun." He said.

Neji nodded and smiled. "Yeah! And I'm gonna become the best ninja ever! And the best big brother ever!"

Oh, sorry Neji but Itachi already got the 'best brother' awards.

Hiruzen smiled fondly and ruffled Neji's hair. "The Will of Fire burns brightly inside both of you." He said.

"SHIZUKA!"

All heads turned around, spotting a tar-covered Hyuuga running frantically towards me with feather splattered all over his body. A red birthday hat was attached on his head while a plastic fairy wand was glued to his hand.

I paled and beads of sweat rolled down my face. I turned to Hiruzen. "Hokage-sama, if, by any chance, I am able to outsmart a chunin leveled ninja with a 50 meter range of vision and sensory skills, where would I hide?"

Hiruzen stroked his beard. "I would say at the South part of the village in the old tattered building on the second floor, fourth door to the left." He said amusingly.

Neji gaped. "Hey wait a minute! Don't tell me you're gonna—"

"DON'T YOU DARE RUN! I JUST WANNA GIVE YOU A TIGHT HUG AROUND YOUR NECK WITH MY HANDS!" Ikkaku yelled as he neared us.

Hiruzen laughed at Ikkaku's appearance and how silly he looked for a Hyuuga. I guess it isn't everyday you see an agitated Hyuuga covered with tar and feathers decorated with glitter and a red hat on his head saying 'happy b-day!' while waving a magic fairy wand in his hand.

I smirked and spun my heel, dashing out of the Hyuuga compound and jumping up at the roofs of the houses, laughing delightfully while making my way towards the South part of the village with an angry Hyuuga hot on my tail.

"SHIZUKA!"

* * *

（≧∇≦）

* * *

I panted, slumping against a tree and falling on my bottom. I heaved in some air, and exhaled it all. I opened my bland white eyes and stared at the sky. A gentle warm breeze hit my face while the leaves rustled and flew with the wind. A small smile came up my lips as I closed my eyes. "How serene…" I murmured.

I don't know how long I stayed there, but I soon drifted off into sleep. What woke me up was when someone said;

"What are you doing here?"

I blinked groggily and rubbed my eyes, a yawn escaping my lips. Opening one eye, I peaked in front of me.

A man with a spiky ponytail was staring down at me. He had two scars running down his face and small goatee on his chin. He was wearing the village's chunin flak jacket and had his hands stuffed inside his pockets.

"Huh…?" I said, not exactly fully awake.

When I looked up, my jaw dropped to the ground. I raised my finger. "Y-you're…" I trailed.

The spiky haired man raised an eyebrow. "I'm?"

"HOLY COW! IT'S A TALKING PINEAPPLE!" I screamed in fright as I hugged on to the tree and pointed an accusing finger towards him. "I KNEW YOU GUYS WERE OUT TO GET ME!"

The said man gave me a flat stare. "… Right." He said as he sigh. "Hey kid, do you mind? You're in my clan's sacred forest and I would appreciate it if you would leave."

I blinked and looked around the forest. I spotted a few deer grazing the grass in my life. I blushed crimson. Oh my gosh, I can't believe I trespassed into someone's sacred place!

"Sorry!" I squeaked as I climbed down the tree and bowed repeatedly. "I didn't know! I was just running away from a magical fairy trying to kill me and—"

"Magical fairy?" Shikaku deadpanned.

I nodded seriously. "Yeah! He had white feathers all over his body and had glitter tattoos on his arms. He has a pointy red hat and waves a magic wand all over the place, turning flowers into icky mushrooms! And because he thinks I'm a devil, he wants to kill me!"

Shikaku blinked and covered his eyes. "Oh good Lord, what has the next generation come to? Next thing I know, the creature that she just mentioned pops in front of me, demanding an audience with the Deer King or something like that."

I smiled sheepishly and rubbed my cheek with my index finger when I spotted a deer walking towards me. I wasn't afraid of deer, but I was a bit intimidated by its height. It could easily trample its hooves over me and I was completely vulnerable.

I moved a step back, and the deer stopped walking. I thought about making a run for it.

"Don't. Run." Shikaku stated, catching me completely off surprise. He looked at the deer, then back at me. "I want you to stare at the deer and stretch out your hand."

I looked at him, confused. "Why?"

"Just do it." Shikaku instructed as he crouched down on his knees.

Not sure of what I should do, I obeyed Shikaku's command. I hesitantly stretched my arm and opened my hand in front of me. The animal tilted its head and slowly walked up to me. I closed my eyes, fearing of what it might do, when something soft nudged my palm.

I opened my eyes again and found the deer's head on my palm. I felt a smile on my face and patted the deer on the head affectionately when it licked my face. I giggled and hugged its neck.

Shikaku sigh. "Okay kid," he said.

"My name's not kid." I pouted. "It's Shizuka."

Shikaku raised an eyebrow. "You? Quiet? I find that ironic."

I glared daggers at Shikaku but when he beckoned me to come forward, I obeyed. I walked to him and turned to him.

Shikaku pointed to the deer near the forests. "You know, deer's don't have emotions. They don't have self-awareness nor do they have cognitive ability. They only thing they know is fight and flight."

I tilted my head, not knowing why Shikaku was telling me this.

"But my clan's deer is different. They have a keen sense of observation and can tell the difference between something harmful and harmless, and they are very territorial. Trespassers are often trampled on or attacked."

I gulped.

"So I decided to give you a little test. If the deer would attack you, I would forbid you from ever making contact with the clan and maybe have you killed in sight."

I trembled in fear.

"But if the deer trusts you," he said as he scratches his head. "I guess it would be right and fair if I would forgive you for trespassing in my clan's sacred forest."

I blinked before processing his words slowly. I then begun to sniffle a bit and wiped some tears away. Shikaku's eyes grew wide.

"Hold on, kid! Don't cry! Jeez, if my wife finds out I made a girl cry, I might as well end up being boiled and served as an appetizer for the Hokage!" Shikaku begged, his face pale.

Then I chuckled. After chuckling, I cackled. Cackled like an evil witch.

"Bahahaha! I can't believe you fell for that one!" I cried, pointing my finger in Shikaku's direction. The said pineapple man had his lips apart and stared at me, flabbergasted.

I smirked. "That's what you get for scaring the beans outta me." I said.

Shikaku twitched. "Alright, I take it back. You're not a kid. You're an annoying brat."

I smiled innocently. "Then maybe I should cry like a brat and scream my lungs out, ne?"

"NO!" Shikaku cried immediately. Once he realized it, he cleared his throat and regained his composure. "I mean, if you'll stay quiet and not shout right now, I'll let you feed the deer a few times. Deal?"

I looked at him skeptically, calculating the pros and cons of what might happen if I accepted his deal. Sure, this guy was an intellectual genius and the village's strategists. He was the one that made the most complicated and almost invulnerable strategy that could blow our enemy's mind and destroy them. He was a dangerous, dangerous man. I should think this very carefully and pos—

"Sure! As long as you give me snacks."

Shikaku shook my hands. "Fine."

I chuckled evilly. To heck with the pros and cons, now I have a secret place all to myself! Plus free snack privileges! Sweet~

"By the way kid, how did you find this place anyway? Not many people wander around in this part of Konoha." He said, his voice on the edge of deadly suspicion. So know, I decided to answer him with the truth.

"Lord Hokage told me to go to the South part of the village." I answered bluntly.

Shikaku stared at me, whether or not to believe that a 2 year old girl had managed to speak with the Hokage and follow instructions from him and end up in his clan's sacred forest.

"Shikaku! What is the meaning of this?! A Hyuuga is in our household demanding to know if you hid a she-devil in there! If I find out whoever this woman is, you're DEAD!"

Both me and Shikaku cringed at the high pitched voice and deadly threat that lay hanging in the sentence. I gulped and realized just how scary Yoshino was to Shikaku. The said pineapple was shivering.

"Uh… want me to skidaddle?" I suggested.

Shikaku nodded.

"SHIZUKA!"

I gulped. "Bye!" I sqeaked.

* * *

（≧∇≦）

* * *

**Shikaku's POV**

'I have got to speak with Lord Third.' Shikaku thought.

When he decided to tend to the clan's animals, he didn't exactly expect to find a sleeping Hyuuga on a tree stump, dreaming away happily. In other situations, he wouldn't give a care to her and let her sleep and enjoy. Hey, he loved sleep so he should at least give the same pleasure to the kid, right?

But right now, he was suspicious. Yes, even to a kid. During his times as a ninja, war was around and you can never be too careful. A kid could be a sleeper nin or a spy so she could infiltrate the village.

But this was a kid. And by the looks of it, a 2 year old kid. It was either that the ninja village that sent her to infiltrate didn't know how to disguise her, or she was just another prodigy of the prestigious Hyuuga clan.

Still, he needed to be wary. For all he could know, she could just jump at him and slit his throat. Excuse his paranoia, he grew up in a war era. You can't exactly blame him.

He stuffed his hands inside his pockets casually, as if he was just walking normally, when in reality he had two kunai knives inside them. He gripped them tightly and neared the sleeping girl.

Deciding not to arouse suspicion, he took a deep breath and looked down at her.

"What are you doing here?"

He expected her to jolt awake, holding a knife in her hands and to pose up a deadly stance. But instead, her got the exact opposite.

She blinked her eyes, getting rid of the crust that formed beneath them, and yawned rather loudly. She stretched her arms and legs out, creating a small humming noise while doing so.

Once she rubbed her eyes she looked at Shikaku weirdly. He raised an eyebrow. Was this some sort of joke?

Suddenly, her eyes widend. Shikaku froze, expecting her to attack.

"Y-you're…" she started.

Shikaku gripped the knife in his hands tightly. This is it, he thought. He knew that this girl was a—

"HOLY COW IT'S A TALKING PINEAPPLE! I KNEW YOU GUYS WERE OUT TO GET ME!"

—complete and psychotic woman who has bad stealth levels and a voice that could rivals Yoshino's screech. He thought that she probably escaped from the loony bin.

Shikaku gave the girl who clung on the trees for dear life a flat stare. And he thought _he _overreacts when Yoshino shouts at him.

He talked, talked to her casually while analyzing her body movements and speech vocal voices. And as their conversation went on, he didn't know what to think.

Her body movement clearly indicates that she was trained and refined, just like other Hyuugas. Though her posture was rather rigid compared to other Hyuugas, she was trained properly nonetheless.

Her speech impressed him as well. Unlike most two year old, who would be blubbering nonsense and incoherent words by this age, she could speak Japanese as if she was a pro. Though pronunciation and her accent was wrong, it was still impressive.

And the fact that her chakra coils isn't functional means that she can't be a spy. God, he wouldn't be surprised if she tried to create a clone and fail epically.

And seriously? Magical fairies with glitter tattoos that wears a point hat and waves a magic wand wreaking havoc in Konoha?

This child was INSANE.

But when he noticed how the clan's deer accepted her quickly, he raised his suspicions again. No one, aside from the Hokage and his clansmen, were able to be able to get a deer close to you. His clan's deer was special; bred and descendants from the First Hokage's deer, which he used as special medicine and guards.

His deer were wary of anyone and they could be very aggressive. They may not have self-awareness or cognitive ability, but they do know the difference between comrade and enemy. Even if she was from Konoha, Shikaku expected the deer to attack her with his horns by now.

But since it didn't, he could consider forgiving her for trespassing inside his clan's sacred forest. This type of crime could have one of her limbs chopped off.

When he noticed tears streaming down her small chubby face, he was immediately overcome with fear. His wife was tending her garden and God knows how sharp her ears are.

So he decided to make a deal.

Usually he would think clearly and logically about this. This is a Hyuuga, one of the people from the most formal clan and almost the important next to the Uchihas and Naras.

But he was tired. And lazy. And screw it for pros and cons, this was a 2 year old girl with amazing speech and knew the location of his sacred forest. He had to watch her and make sure she holds her tongue and not brag about this to her friends.

Shikaku watched as the lilac colored girl bounced off into another unknown place. He really didn't care if she got back home safely; if she can get here, then she can get back anywhere.

"SHIKAKU! WHEN I SEE ANOTHER WOMAN IN THAT FOREST, SO HELP ME I'LL SLICE YOUR GENITALS AND MAKE SURE YOU WON'T BE EVER BE ABLE TO REPRODUCE ANY MORE CLAN HEIRS! MARK MY GODDAMN WORDS!"

Shikaku shivered. Sometimes he wonders why he married a woman who was so fucking scary.

* * *

**[Author's Note]**

**Screw me if you think Shikaku's a bit out of character in this chapter, but honestly the Wikipedia did little to no help at all to help me learn about his personality.**

**This may be a bit long for an author's note, but let me clarify a few things t avoid further confusion;**

**Shikaku Nara is the current clan leader. I've seen Shikamaru mention about his clan's secret forests nearby the village and about his deer. Not much was noted about his deer or the location of his secret forest (which was pretty understandable; it was supposed to be a secret and if Masashi Kishimoto blurted it out in the Wikipedia, I think everyone would've found it by now), but I guessed that they were unique for the fact that they were kept sacred by the clan.**

**And since Shikaku had a son, he would have a soft spot for children. Maybe not the kind of parent that would go and do goo-goo eyes at them instantly, but the person who wouldn't want to harm an innocent child.**

**But since he was born during the time of war, he would be wary. Plenty of children were used as tools in war for spying and infiltrating. It was his job to eliminate spies when he was young, and let's say, old habits die hard.**

**So there! That's all I have to say. Honestly, I know that it was ridiculous that a two year old would be able to run that fast and talk like a pro, but Shizuka wanted to a damn prodigy. Hell, I think she's starting to turn into a perfectionist, much like who I am.**

**At any case, thank you very much for the follows and favorites. I am quite disappointed though, knowing that a lot of people appreciate my story yet have no time to type a simple motivating quote. Seriously, reviews are made to encourage the author to keep writing. Wouldn't you feel bad if you did something and no one appreciates you for it?**

**Thank you for reading and have a nice day! :)**


	4. Chapter 3: The Final Halcyon Day

**Silence is Golden**

**Chapter 3: The Final Halcyon Day**

"Tou-san! Tou-san!" I cried giddily, running up to Tou-san's room as fast as I can. I slid the door open hastily and jumped up Tou-san's bed.

He moaned and grabbed a nearby pillow, covering his face. "Not now Shizuka… Tou-san was up the whole night readying for a big celebration later."

I stopped jumping and sniffed. "Tou-san doesn't love me anymore!" I wailed as fake tears poured out of my eyes. And to add effect, I rubbed them profusely and fell on my knees, holding a bunny doll in my chest.

Tou-san bolted up. His eyes grew wide with worry and he quickly scooped me up in his arms, hugging me. Behind his shirt, I smirked in victory. The fake tears and puppy eyes always work! Man, I should've done this way back!

"No! No, I love you Shizuka. Of course I do!" Tou-san said quickly as he held my shoulder firmly and looked at me straight in the eye.

Outside, my eyes were wet and puffy from crying but in reality I actually hid some eye drops inside them and scratched them as hard as I could so they would turn red. Inside, I was cackling like the evil witch of the West. Time to execute my plan!

"No you don't! You don't even remember my birthday!" I said angrily while pouting.

Tou-san's eyes widened. "Of course I wouldn't forget my little flower's birthday!" he said as he reached inside his pocket. "Oh, where is it?" he asked to no one in particular as he searched the insides of his pockets.

Suddenly, his eyes lit up as he finally took hold of something solid. He pulled it out of his pocket and out came two necklaces. One had a crystal blue pendant while the other had a clear and shiny pendant.

"What's going on? Did Shizuka set someone on fire again?"

I turned around and beamed when I found Neji rubbing his eyes sleepily. He was pretty cute in his blue and ducky pjs. He was holding Momo, his stuffed bear. Never had I thought that I would see the day that Neji would be caught dead wearing something like this. I should've asked Tou-san to buy a camera. I could tease Neji about this in the future!

"I didn't set someone on fire… yet." I said innocently.

Neji groaned and yawned the same time Tou-san did. "It's too early for this!" they complained in sync.

I pouted. "I hate you!"

Tou-san smiled and beckoned for Neji to come forward. "Today is December 12, the day of your birth Shizuka." He said with a pained smile. I tilted my head in confusion, not knowing why he was forcing himself to smile.

Neji blinked then gasped. "Yikes! I can't believe I forgot!" he cried before running up to the corner and sulking. "I'm the worst big brother ever…" he cried cutely.

"No way Neji nii-san! You're the best!" I said with a nervous smile. Honestly, how can you comfort someone who sulked? I've seen plenty of people sulk like these in all the anime shows I've watched my entire life, but the common solution they resolve to was either pissing the sulking person off or…

"Don't worry Neji nii-san! I still love you!"

… boosting the man's ego so damn high that it would reach the heavens.

Neji turned his head around. "Really? Is she right Tou-sama?" Neji asked.

Tou-san, knowing that Neji is pretty sensitive when it comes to me, nodded with a nervous smile. "Y-yes Neji-kun. She loves you very much." He assured.

Neji bolted right up and puffed out his chest proudly. "Right! And I'll become a powerful ninja so that no one would ever hurt you, Shizuka!"

I smiled and stood up, pumping my tiny fists up. "No, I'm going to be a powerful ninja too! But I won't only protect you and Tou-san."

Both said males looked at me in confusion. I beamed and flashed them a toothy grin with a peace sign.

"I'll protect the whole Hyuuga clan, my friends, and even the entire village! I'll become an honorable ninja so that no one I love will die!"

Lie, a voice hissed inside my head. Tou-san will die and there is nothing someone like I can do to stop it.

Shut up! I told myself.

Can't, remember? The same person.

Ugh, I hate myself!

Tou-san stared at me in disbelief while Neji just looked as if grew another head. My smile slipped and I dropped my arms down, blushing in embarrassment. "S-sorry… It must've been a really stupid dream to pursue…" I mumbled.

A hand ruffled my hair affectionately. I looked up and found Tou-san's face in front of mine, holding his usual gentle but stern expression.

"Shizuka, that is a beautiful dream. To grow stronger not for fame or fortune, but for one's protection is something only people with a golden heart." He explained. He poked my nose jokingly, making me scrunch it up a bit.

"'_Silence is Golden' _was something your mother told me. She was just like you, Shizuka…" he paused before chuckling. "Well, maybe you look like her, but your trouble-making attitude wasn't like your mother at all."

I slumped my head down.

"But she was a silent one. And she said that silent people are the kindest of them all. Silent people often think too much about themselves and their family, so they are very considerate. They are also sensitive to any insults, but they would never fight back. That was who she was. That was who Hyuuga Kohana was."

A stray tear slipped down Tou-san's cheek. He quickly wiped it away, trying to stay strong, but both me and Neji were already on the brink of tears.

"Neji." Tou-san said, this time in a strong voice. Neji sat up straight, his eyes glancing all around the room but he tried his best to force his posture.

"I want you to promise me that you'll never **ever **let anyone hurt your sister." He said. Neji blinked, puzzled, but nodded determinedly nonetheless.

Tou-san turned to me. "And I want you to promise that no matter what happens you will in return protect your brother. Don't let anything happen to him either."

I nodded seriously and gave him a two finger salute. "Aye, aye, sir!"

"Um Shizuka, I think you're supposed to salute with your right hand." Neji whispered.

I blushed and crossed my arms. "Psh, I knew that." I snapped.

Tou-san smiled. "Both of you, give me one hand." He said. Even without knowing the reason, we obeyed and hesitantly presented our hands in front of him. He held them both and I felt something hard slip inside of mine.

"Huh?" I asked. I pulled my hand back slowly and opened it, only to find the small crystal blue pendant necklace placed on its palm. I gasped silently.

"Wow…" Neji murmured to himself as he raised the necklace up high. "This looks so…"

Tou-san nodded. "That is my birthday presents to both of you. I wasn't able to give you a birthday present last time Neji because I wanted to give you this pendant with your sister at the same time." He explained.

I raised my pendant up high. A smile made its way on my face. Overcame with happiness, I launched myself at Tou-san and hugged his neck around tightly.

"Thank you! Thank you thankyouthankyouthankyou!" I cried happily as I jumped around the room, dancing like an idiot.

"Oh yeah! Imma ninja! Uh huh! It's my birthday! Oh yeah!"

Neji groaned. "Shizuka! That's embarrassing!"

I stopped doing the 'moonwalk' dance by Michael Jackson and smiled sheepishly.

Tou-san smiled and scooped the both of us up by surprise, catching both me and Neji off by surprise. I squealed like the little girl I was and Neji merely laughed and giggled like a drunken fool.

Tou-san hovered us above his head, making it seem as if we were high up in the ground. My squeals grew louder and so did Neji's laughs and giggles. Tou-san zoomed us around the room like an airplane, shouting out fake-commands like, "The Banana has spotted its target! Fire in the hole!"

We stopped and fell on Tou-san's bed, which was surprisingly comfortable and rested. After a moment of silence, all three of us erupted in uncontrollable laughter, the kind of laughter that I was never sure that me and Neji would make for the rest of our lives.

* * *

（≧∇≦）

* * *

Today was the first day of my training. I wanted to say that I knew a few of the katas by watching Neji practice some while Tou-san was gone, but after watching a series of episodes with Neji's sparring sessions with Tou-san, I don't think I can do the stance properly and as graceful as Neji could.

The first thing Tou-san nagged me about was to wear the appropriate training attire. I wore a mesh shirt under an elbow sleeved dark shirt with dark knee length pants and regular shinobi shoes. Honestly, I never knew that the shoes were so comfy! Unless it was raining, then I would be saying something otherwise.

"Shizuka, the first step in learning the Gentle Fist are to know the proper katas. Without the correct stance, each movement you make will turn out horribly wrong. It's about precision and focus." Tou-san said as he moved his body in the original Gentle Fist stance.

"One arm extended, one arm folded in. A foot bent down, a foot spread out. A straight head and eyes focused straight on the opponent. Yes, that's it." Tou-san said as he nodded in approval at my stance.

Pride welled inside me. As I have mentioned earlier, I am quite the people pleaser and an over-achiever. You could say I inherited it from Neji, but I thought it was a great way to motivate myself in training.

"Though your stance is quite rigid, the form is nearly right. We'll start with a few basic moves; push and pull."

I gave him a flat stare. "Push and pull?"

He nodded. He posed himself in the Hyuuga stance and so have I. "Ha!" he cried, pushing his arm forward with force. "Ha!" he cried again, pushing his other arm forward.

"Shizuka!" he called.

I blinked and nodded. "Ha!" I said, pushing my left arm in sync with Tou-san's. "Ha!" we both cried as we pushed right arms forward.

"Ha!"

* * *

（≧∇≦）

* * *

I panted and wiped the sweat from my forehead. Both me and Tou-san had been practicing the Push and Pull kata for four hours straight. In my previous life, I don't exactly want to brag, but I was very fit and I had a very hard time becoming tired. I realized that my tiny body couldn't exactly comprehend training endurance as much as my previous body could.

"Enough Shizuka." Tou-san instructed.

I nodded and fell to the ground. "Shizuka?" Tou-san asked, his voice laced with worry.

With my head still buried in the grass, I raised my right hand weakly and did a thumbs up. I heard Tou-san chuckle.

"Tou-san? What happened to Shizuka?" Neji's voice piped up.

"I died from exhaustion and I am now in the process of my rebirth." I mumbled through the dirt.

I flipped over my position and lay on the grass, my eyes staring up at the wonderful blue colored sky. Little puffs of clouds appeared and I caught myself outstretching my hands towards it.

Today was December 15, a few days after my third birthday. Most people have mentioned that not most 3 year olds could talk fluently nor walk or run. Some prodigies were only discovered after being given an intellectual test designed by a Nara himself.

Speaking a lazy haired pineapple heads, I wonder what Shikaku's doing right now. Honestly, the man could be over a pile of burning leaves and would still be sleeping peacefully.

Despite how relaxing the atmosphere became, I couldn't help but feel tense. An uneasy feeling in my gut kept on nagging inside me, telling me to remember something. Something extremely important, but I couldn't exactly tell.

I lowered my outstretched arm and lay it on the grass next to me.

"I'm sleepy…" I grumbled as I snuggled into a comfortable position on the grass. Neji sat beside me and lied down next to me as well.

"Me too…"

Tou-san walked near us and laid both of our heads on his lap. "Then sleep, my children."

I smiled. "Gladly."

_'Damn it, I know something should be happening soon. Something big,' _I thought warily. My eyelids felt heavy and I yawned.

_'Nah, it shouldn't be something important.' _I said as I dismissed the thought.

* * *

**[Author's Note]**

**Sorry everyone for the extremely short chapter, but I'm really sick. It gave me a major headache when I tried to type any words at all in the chapter. Plus my nose is as itchy as hell! I can't exactly take a breather, unlike Shizuka, who's currently chillaxing somewhere in the Nar-verse hanging out with Neji. Thinking about sort of makes me envious of her.**

**Anyway, review please! And to those who reads my other SI OC story, 'Wilting Roses' I may not be able to update tomorrow as planned. I apologize greatly for the inconvenience. TT^TT**

**Thank you and have a good day!~**


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